Cramp in thigh?

[Earl Lewis]

I wrote earlier complaining about discomfort on my mountain bike seat.
I found a little relief from moving the saddle rearward about 1" and
raising it quite a bit. And using some Bag Balm I found recommended
here. Haven't got my new saddle yet.

So when I started enjoying the bike more I went on my 'long' ride,
pumping a little harder maybe. (OK it's only 21 miles, but to me it's
long). Anyway that night I awoke with the damndest cramp in the inside
of my right thigh. Quite painful and took quite a while to get it
relaxed. Next morning I felt perfectly fine. The day after that, the
weather was beautiful, I went on my 20 miler again. I felt the
soreness in the thigh a little, but it was not cause for turning back.
But when I got home and sat down to watch tv the thigh started feeling
like a tooth with the nerve gone bad.

I have a history of tendonitus in my shoulders and, for sure, don't
want anything like it in my legs. Takes forever to go away, if ever.
My leg feels good again today, doing ordinary stuff, but I'm sure a
good bike ride would mess it up again.

Does anyone else have experience like this with cramping?
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[Bill Sornson]

Earl Lewis wrote:
> I wrote earlier complaining about discomfort on my mountain bike seat.
> I found a little relief from moving the saddle rearward about 1" and
> raising it quite a bit. And using some Bag Balm I found recommended
> here. Haven't got my new saddle yet.
>
> So when I started enjoying the bike more I went on my 'long' ride,
> pumping a little harder maybe. (OK it's only 21 miles, but to me it's
> long). Anyway that night I awoke with the damndest cramp in the inside
> of my right thigh. Quite painful and took quite a while to get it
> relaxed. Next morning I felt perfectly fine. The day after that, the
> weather was beautiful, I went on my 20 miler again. I felt the
> soreness in the thigh a little, but it was not cause for turning back.
> But when I got home and sat down to watch tv the thigh started feeling
> like a tooth with the nerve gone bad.
>
> I have a history of tendonitus in my shoulders and, for sure, don't
> want anything like it in my legs. Takes forever to go away, if ever.
> My leg feels good again today, doing ordinary stuff, but I'm sure a
> good bike ride would mess it up again.
>
> Does anyone else have experience like this with cramping?
> Remove no_spam to reply email

You /really/ should have someone check your position ("fit") on the bike.

Moving a saddle an inch or more and raising it "quite a bit" are radical
changes, suggesting you're just /guessing/ at what might work.

IMO.

 

[Ernie Willson]

Earl Lewis wrote:
> I wrote earlier complaining about discomfort on my mountain bike seat.
> I found a little relief from moving the saddle rearward about 1" and
> raising it quite a bit. And using some Bag Balm I found recommended
> here. Haven't got my new saddle yet.
>
> So when I started enjoying the bike more I went on my 'long' ride,
> pumping a little harder maybe. (OK it's only 21 miles, but to me it's
> long). Anyway that night I awoke with the damndest cramp in the inside
> of my right thigh. Quite painful and took quite a while to get it
> relaxed. Next morning I felt perfectly fine. The day after that, the
> weather was beautiful, I went on my 20 miler again. I felt the
> soreness in the thigh a little, but it was not cause for turning back.
> But when I got home and sat down to watch tv the thigh started feeling
> like a tooth with the nerve gone bad.
>
> I have a history of tendonitus in my shoulders and, for sure, don't
> want anything like it in my legs. Takes forever to go away, if ever.
> My leg feels good again today, doing ordinary stuff, but I'm sure a
> good bike ride would mess it up again.
>
> Does anyone else have experience like this with cramping?
> Remove no_spam to reply email

I have a similar problem. Drinking 4 to 6 ounces of Tonic water (Quinine
water) before going to bed seems to help.

HTH,
EJ in NJ

 

[Dennis P. Harris]

On Tue, 12 Sep 2006 12:57:17 -0400 in rec.bicycles.misc, Earl
Lewis <[email protected]> wrote:

> Anyway that night I awoke with the damndest cramp in the inside
> of my right thigh. Quite painful and took quite a while to get it
> relaxed. Next morning I felt perfectly fine. The day after that, the
> weather was beautiful, I went on my 20 miler again. I felt the
> soreness in the thigh a little, but it was not cause for turning back.
> But when I got home and sat down to watch tv the thigh started feeling
> like a tooth with the nerve gone bad.
>
> I have a history of tendonitus in my shoulders and, for sure, don't
> want anything like it in my legs. Takes forever to go away, if ever.

it probably is tendonitis, and there are 2 parts to the cure:

1. stretching --- you need to to heel raises and heel stretches,
as well as the usual achilles tendon & knee tendon stretches. ask
your chiropractor, sports doc, physical therapist, or personal
trainer, or look online for "exercise stretches".

2. electrolytes --- you should be drinking gatorade, powerade,
or some other electrolyte drink before, during, and after your
ride. i sometimes have a glass of gatorade before bed if i've
been doing something that i know will aggravate & tighten tendons
& muscles.

btw, if you're always "tight" muscled, it gets worse as you get
older. wish i could find a nice massage therapist to marry...

 

[Earl Lewis]

On Tue, 12 Sep 2006 22:35:32 -0800, [email protected]
(Dennis P. Harris) wrote:
>
>it probably is tendonitis, and there are 2 parts to the cure:
>
>1. stretching --- you need to to heel raises and heel stretches,
>as well as the usual achilles tendon & knee tendon stretches. ask
>your chiropractor, sports doc, physical therapist, or personal
>trainer, or look online for "exercise stretches".
>

I think you're probably right. The tendonitus I experienced in neck
and shoulders would seem to let me do what I wanted, then cripple me
afterwards - much like this thigh thing. But your stretches, chiros
etc didn't work, time and rest was all that ever helped. Oh, and heat.
Trouble is, I never really get over it. It just lies dormant till the
next time I anger it, then it pounces.

>btw, if you're always "tight" muscled, it gets worse as you get
>older. wish i could find a nice massage therapist to marry...

Yeah, I think the tendons get less elastic

>2. electrolytes --- you should be drinking gatorade, powerade,
>or some other electrolyte drink before, during, and after your
>ride. i sometimes have a glass of gatorade before bed if i've
>been doing something that i know will aggravate & tighten tendons
>& muscles.

I did drink plenty of WATER that day. Wasn't sweating overly I don't
think. Maybe the causet was my ice cream binge. As a 'reward' for
reaching destination I get a large ice cream cone (bad habit). There
was too long a line, so I instead stopped at grocery on way home and
got 1/2 gal chocolate ice cream. Hog I am, ate it all before bedtime.

Forget about liquids before bed if you're an old fart. Too much
getting up in the night already. I've had the quinine suggested to me
before. It works, but it will slow heartrate, and it's low enough
already.

Have to miss the tail of biking season I guess. Hope it straightens up
by next spring. And I'd just ordered $100 worth of bike toys too:
seat, 2 shorts, jersey.

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